Signor of one-half to isadore saks



(No Model.)

A. B. BURNS. BICYCLE BELL.

No. 584,032. Patented June 8,1897.

. u ZI/ZHJLEM UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

ALEXANDER B. BUR-NS, OF XVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AS- SIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ISADORE SAKS, OF SAME PLACE.

T' ,1 T4 BICYCLE-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,032, dated June 8,1897. Application filed August 18, 1896. erial No. 602,660. (F0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER B. BURNS, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVashington, in theDistrict of Oolumbia,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Bicycle-Bells; and I dohereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to certain improvements in automatic bicycle-bellsof the class known as continuous ringing and it consists, essentially,in providing a train of multiplying-gearing, a suitably-wound spring toimpart motion to the gearing, a vibratory hammer actuated by thegearing, and a device for locking the hammer against action andreleasing it to permit continuous ringing.

The principal object of the invention is to produce a bell in which thehammer may be automatically vibrated to ring the bell continuously for aperiod of time, so as to permit the rider of a bicycle to have the freeuse of both hands at all times to manage the handle-bar of the machineand thus enable him to have perfect and entire control of the wheelwhile the bell is ringing, thereby preventing the class of accidentsgenerally due when an ordinary bell is used by reason of the rider beingcompelled to employ one hand to manipulate the bell and the other tocontrol the machine. This object is attained by means of the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the bell complete and ready for attachment to the bicycle;Fig. 2, avertical central sectional view showing the gearing inelevation; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;Fig. 4, a similar section on line at 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a detailperspective view of a modified form of the device for locking andreleasing the vibratory hammer, and Fig. (i a detail view of the detentand spring.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical casingor shell upon which is secured a flat metal plate 2 by means of screws3. The upper face of the plate is provided with posts 4, to which issecured a plate 5 by means of screws 6, as shown in Fig.

2. Centrally journaled in the plates 2 and 5 is a winding-post 7, thelower end of which projects into the casing and has secured to it theinner end of a convolute actuatingspring S, the other end of the springbeing secured to a post 9, attached to the inner side of the bottom ofthe casing. To the winding-post, above the plate 2, is secured aratchet-wheel 10, and to the plate is pivoted a spring-actuated pawl 11,which engages the teeth of the ratchetwheel to hold the windingpostagainst the tension of the actuating spring when wound. Above theratchet-wheel on the winding-post is secured a gear-wheel 12, whichintergears with a pinion 13, mounted on a shaft 14, journaled in theplates 2 and 5. Above the pinion 13 on the shaft 14 is secured agearwheel 15, which intergcars with a pinion 16, mounted on a shaft 17,also j ournaled in the plates 2 and 5, and above the pinion 16 on theshaft 17 is an escapement-wheel 18, which engages alternately thepallets 19 of an escapement-lever 20, fulcrumed on a post 21, attachedto the plate 2. The end of the escapement-lever opposite to thatcarrying the pallets is provided with a hammer 22, which is normallyheld against vibratory action, as willbe hereinafter explained. Theupper end of the winding-post is screw-threaded, and a gong-shaped bell23, provided with a screwthreaded boss 2a, is screwed thereon.

The numeral 25 indicates a detent, which in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 consistsof a bar having a feather 26 on its lower face, which feather sets intoand is adapted to move in an oblong slot 27, made in the plate 2.Secured to the lower side of the feather is a leaf-spring 2 which bearsagainst the lower face of the plate 2, so as to hold the detent whenpushed in or drawn out in frictional contact with the plate The outerend ofthe detent is provided with a suitable knob or finger-piece 29, bymeans of which it may be manipulated to lock the escapement-lever andits hammer against vibratory movement or to release it, so that it maybe vibrated by the train of gearing acted upon by the force of the woundactuating-spring.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the detent consists of a bar 30,fulcrumed on the plate 2 in such position that its inner end can bethrown into or out of engagement with the escapement-lever to hold thehammer against vibratory movement or to permit it to vibrate. The lowerside of the detent is preferably provided with a leaf-spring, whichbears against the upper face of the plate 2 and holds the detent infrictional contact against accidental shifting.

To the lower side of the casing is secured one member 31, which, inconnection with a similar member 32, forms the usual clamping means forsecuring the bell to the handle-bar or other part of the frame of themachine, the two members being clamped by screws 33.

In operating my improved bell the actuat ing-spring is first wound byturning the bell proper and the detent set to hold the escapement-leveragainst vibration. When it is desired to sound an alarm,the detentisdrawn out or pushed away from the escapementlever, which, beingreleased, will beinstantaneously set into vibratory motion by thetensioned force of the spring acting upon the train of gearing. The bellwill continue to ring until the spring is run down or the detent isagain brought into contact with the escapenientlever.

It will be observed that when the detent, which can be pulled away fromthe escapement-lever by a slight movement of the thumb or finger, is outof engagement with the escapemcnt-lever no force of the rider isrequired to hold it, as the frictional contact of the spring 28 with theplate 2 is amply sufficient. In. the modified form a slight upward pullon the handle forces the free end of the detent out of engagement withthe escapement-lever, and a push in the opposite direction brings itinto engagement again.

The bell is quite simple in construction and The parts are not liacan becheaply made.

ble to get out of order or become injured by ordinary use, and when thehammer is released will ring continuously without the constantmanipulation or holding any part or the operating mechanism, as is thecase with all of the bells now in use and known to me.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bicycle-bell, the combination with a train of gearing actuatedby the tensioned force of a spring, of an escapement-levercarrying ahammer, and a single bar or detent movably secured upon the platesupporting the train of gearing and arranged to be pushed into and outof engagement with the escapement-lever, whereby the bell is caused toring continuously when the bar or detent is moved out of engagement withsaid escapement-lever and isstopped when the bar or detent is moved intoengagement with the escapement lever, substantially as specified.

2. In a bicycle-bell, the combination with the eseapement-lever and itsoperating mechanism, of means for locking and releasing saidescapement-lever, said means consisting of a bar provided with a feathersetting into and adapted to move in a slot in the plate supporting theoperating mechanism and provided with a leaf-spring bearing against theunder side of said plate, whereby the bar 1s held by frictional contactin or out of engagement with the escapementlever, substair tially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXANDER B. BURNS.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. T. SPARO, JAMES G. JEsTER.

